ABOUT THE CREATOR

K. C. (Ken) Veitch was born and raised on a small farm in the community of Ufford in Muskoka where he attended the one room Watt Township Public School; later continuing his education at the Bracebridge High School. After working with financial institutions in Toronto and Hamilton he returned home to become the Clerk-Administrator of the Town of Bracebridge, a position he held for 30 years.

Always interested in the lakes and forests of Muskoka, following his retirement he became involved with Westwind Forest Stewardship Inc. and the Parry Sound-Muskoka Stewardship Network to further his interest in sustainable forest operations and developed two hobby businesses, The Bracebridge Advantage! Tours and Muskoka Trolls, a name he has bestowed on his driftwood figures and his walking sticks created by his own hand as a result of his involvement with the great natural resources of Muskoka.

In describing his driftwood figures he is quick to point out that he is not a carver, (and he admires those that are); he lets natures wind, sun and water do that. He cleans the pieces he finds, tries to emphasis the mysterious creature figure he feels nature has created, treats it to preserve it, identifies it, and then makes them available to those of us who appreciate this natural art.

As one who enjoys hiking, the Walking Sticks were a natural next step as he recognized the "comfort" of having an "assist" when traveling over rough terrain. Developed from a variety of wood types, he has created a delightful process of preserving some of the natural colour of the inner wood then embellishes the piece with a modest facial feature which defines the individual character of each walking stick and cane.

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